Maurice Newman

Maurice Newman is the Chairman of the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and chairman of the board of the Australian Stock Exchange (In December 2006, the Sydney Morning Herald noted that "Mr Newman's appointment marks his return to the ABC board after he quit two years ago amid a storm of controversy about boardroom leaks.") During the 1980s, Newman was a member of the secretive neoliberal Crossroads group. He is currently also a member of the Asialink Council.

"Newman was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of local think tank the Centre for Independent Studies in the 1970s... Newman later became the centre's chairman and the think tank did much to emphasise, if not form, his political thinking and personal style.

"Newman struck up a long-term friendship with US economist Milton Friedman after inviting him to Australia in 1975. Newman's political thinking remains very much of Friedman's school, a laissez-faire capitalist with broader public concerns. Their friendship continued until the economist's death last month.""

On December 18, 2001 it was announced by that Maurice Newman was elected Macquarie University’s fifth Chancellor, "after former Chancellor, Mr Tim Besley AO, announced he would stand down from office at the end of December 2001."

"His career spans forty years in stockbroking and investment banking, including as Managing Director and Executive Chairman of the Deutsche Bank Group in Australia. He was also Chairman of the Deutsche Bank Asia Pacific Advisory Board and a Director of Deutsche Bank Asia Pacific, retiring in July 2001. He is Chairman of Acrux Limited and a Director of the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

"Mr Newman has been an adviser to Australian governments as a member of the Consultative Committee on Relations with Japan; a Commissioner of the National Commission of Audit; a member of the Business Advisory Panel established by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Chairman of the National Judging Panel for Innovation in Local Government; Chairman of the Commonwealth Government’s National Year 2000 Steering Committee; Chairman of the Federal Treasurer’s Financial Sector Advisory Council and Chairman of the Singapore-Australia Business Alliance Forum.

"He is Chairman of the Sydney Convention & Visitors Bureau, Sydney Legacy Citizen’s Committee, the Australian Father’s Day Council, the Council of Governors of the Taronga Zoo Foundation and a Member of the Advisory Council of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre.

"In 1994 Mr Newman was awarded an Order of Australia. In 1999 he was awarded the Economic Medal First Class by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs for services to Australia-Taiwan relations, and in 2001, the AustCham Singapore President’s Medal for services to Australia-Singapore relations." 

"Mr Newman is currently Chairman of the Australian Securities Exchange. He is also a Director with Queensland Investment Corporation, Chancellor of Macquarie University, Chairman of Tourism New South Wales, Patron of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia and Chairman of the Federal Treasurer’s Financial Sector Advisory Council. He is also Chair or Patron for a number of community organisations." 

In March 2010, Maurice Newman reportedly gave an address to senior staff of the ABC saying that, "climate change was an example of 'group think." (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/10/2842322.htm). The ABC reported that he claimed to be unconvinced about climate change, and criticised Australian media coverage of it for being "unbalanced."


 * Director, Queensland Investment Corporation